TORONTO — The Ontario Energy Board has announced hearing dates for considering the relative merits of two bids to expand the electricity transmission network between Wawa and Thunder Bay.
NextBridge and Hydro One have both submitted applications for the East-West Tie Line.
In 2013, the OEB designated NextBridge as the electricity transmitter to undertake development work for the project.
Last year, however, Hydro One came up with its own bid, dubbed the Lake Superior Link, saying it would cost over $100 million less to build than the NextBridge scheme, and save $3 million in annual maintenance costs.
In March 2018, Thunder Bay City Council went on record as supporting the NextBridge proposal.
At the time, Counc. Iain Angus, who co-chairs the Common Voice Northwest Energy Task Force, said "This is one of the most bizarre processes that I've ever been involved in, where you have a government agency that decides to let one company start the process, and then opens the door and lets somebody come in after they've spent $60 million on the overall project."
The NextBridge plan includes a partnership with six First Nations along the Lake Superior shoreline.
The OEB will consider the two applications together in Toronto at oral hearings during the first two weeks of October.
Written comments may be submitted until Nov. 7.
A decision was initially expected sometime this fall, but the OEB has said that because of the significance of the project, it will take "the necessary time" to reach its conclusion.
